SnapTag to challenge QR codes

SpyderLynk, a mobile activation and marketing utility company, has introduced an alternative to QR codes.

SpyderLynk’s SnapTag is an aesthetically pleasing ‘code ring’ that can be used to surround a company’s logo; allowing for branding where a QR code would have been.

Whilst SnapTag claims its codes are more attractive than QR codes, it also offers another advantage. For users to access a QR code, a specific smartphone app is required. The user scans the code and is linked to a marketing channel, whether it be a competition, social media page or video link. However, SnapTag can be used with or without an app. As long as a user has a camera on their phone, they can access SnapTags.

According to Jane McPherson, the chief marketing officer at SpyderLynk:

“You’re not dependent on an app…A consumer can take a picture of a SnapTag and text [or email] it to us. We read the SnapTag and return the marketing response.”

McPherson further explained that there are also SnapTag scanning apps for smartphone owners.

Additionally, the scanning apps can be installed by the brands using them, thereby allowing a customised experience for the customer.

Brands using SnapTags can easily manipulate the code ring for individual campaigns. This is done by re-spacing the gaps in the code ring; a change that will go virtually un-noticed by consumers. For marketers, this is an easily monitored form of analytics.

The advantages of SnapTag are already boosting its popularity – major brands such as Toyota and Coca Cola are known to be using the innovative technique.